Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 25
25
Acknowledged
NHS retention programme piloting flexibility and career development measures shows promising results.
Conclusion
NHS England added that, in terms of the specific offers that it would be making, the two most significant elements were measures focused on flexibility and continuous career development.67 It informed us that much of the retention aspects of the plan was about doing what works, doing this systematically, and supporting it to be spread across the NHS. NHS England told us that it had launched an NHS retention programme last year, to systematically apply the measures known to matter the most to people working in the NHS.68 In the 23 trusts piloting this programme, the rate of improvement in retention was twice that of the rest of the NHS.69 NHS England assured us there was confirmed and ongoing funding for continuous professional development, which while not new money, contained a commitment within the workforce plan that it would be maintained.70 Other issues that mattered to staff included leadership, particularly clinical leadership, workload and pay.71
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's findings, stating NHS England has revised its retention programme and the Exemplar programme shows improved leaver rates, with the Long Term Workforce Plan aiming to significantly reduce overall staff attrition by 2037.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: April 2024 2.2 NHS England has revised the scope of the retention programme, in response to the cost of living impacts and the need to maximise workforce capacity during the extremely challenging winter. 2.3 The Exemplar programme was launched in April 2022 and is based on the idea that by delivering the interventions aligned to the People Promise together in one place, at the same time, improved outcomes for staff, organisations and patients will be achieved, as well as optimum staff satisfaction and retention. 2.4 Exemplar organisations’ leaver rates are improving faster than non-Exemplars. All staff leaver rate in Exemplars declined 0.6 percentage points (pp), from 8.9 to 8.3%, compared to 0.3pp in non-Exemplars (9.0 to 8.7%). Nursing leaver rate has declined 0.9pp, from 7.8 to 6.9%, whereas the non-Exemplar group has only decreased by 0.4pp (7.3 to 6.9%). 2.5 The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan considers the challenges facing the workforce over the next 15 years and sets out actions to address them. The collective impact of the Plan’s proposals is projected to help reduce the overall leaver rate for NHS employed staff from 9.1% in 2022 to between 7.4% and 8.2% by 2037. This is equivalent to retaining 55,000–128,000 full-time members of staff.